Cotton drier



Jan; 21, 195s A. L. SMITH 2,820,306

` COTTON DRIER Filed June 16, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent COTTON DRIER Algernon L. Smith, Birmingham, Ala., assignor to Continental Gin Company, Birmingham, Ala., a corporation of Delaware Application June 16, 1954, Serial No. 437,152

7 Claims. (Cl. 34168) fI'hisinvention relates to equipment for drying cotton or similar material.

lCotton and many other materials must be dry prior to being passed through processing equipment such as cleaners, gins, etc. The reduction of moisture content isi often accomplished by sending the cotton `through a vertical or horizontal casing in which hot air is introduced' with the cotton as it flows through the casing. The hot air normally follows along with the cotton, and in fact in many driers is the sole means for conveying the cotton. Naturally the ability of the air to remove moisture-.decreases as it proceeds with thecotton. These ty-pes of driers have proven more or less satisfactory in the past. Nonetheless, the need for improving driers has long been recognized. Particularly, the need for a drier which can handle large quantities of cotton efciently, and with speed, and yet which is not of extremely large size, has long been apparent.

The advent of the mechanical picker has increased the necessity for a more satisfactory drier. pickers take up a lot of trash and other debris; furthermore, there is considerable twisting of the cotton. Also many of the pickers introduce a considerable amount of moisture. With the cotton twisted around twigs, etc. and with moisture added the need for greater cleaning increases. The need for improved drying equipment also increases. Even if additional moisture is not added by the pickers improved drying will facilitate subsequent cleaning, etc.

Anobject of this invention is to provide a drier which will -handle large amounts of cotton quickly and eflicient- Mechanical 1y,*"an'd which, for a given size, has a greater drying effeet than the presently known driers.

A further object of the invention is to devise a drier y,

in which the hot air is passed in a direction opposite to the direction of ow of the cotton. Further, the objects include providing a drier in which the cotton is thoroughlyk opened up, in which the cotton is tumbled and agitated and in which all of the cotton is exposed to the'action of hot air thus facilitating subsequent cleanlng.

I have found that by using the above discussed principles the same drying effect can be achieved with approximately 'one-third the amount of -air required in the known typesv of driers. Such marked increase in efficiency is'achieved through opening and tumbling the cotton, through the passage of air in a direction opposite to the movement of the cotton through the machine, and through exposure of all the cotton to the air.

As stated above, in a drier constructed in accordance with the instant invention, the drying medium is passed throughl the 'cottonfor other material in a direction opposite to the general path of movement of the cotton. The etiiency of thedrier can beincreased by increasing the the `:q1'1a'ntityof air use. Inffact, the-greaterthe quantityof air used the moretendency there is to fluff and lift-the cotton. VWith the ow of air increased, the drier leo 'out of the drier.

ICC

can be made of a still smaller size for a given capacity, as compared to previous driers. However, as the ow of air is increased above a certain amount, there is a tendency of some of the material being dried to leave the drier with the air. Therefore, still another object of the invention is to provide a drier in which a relatively high velocity of air can be employed, yet in which the cotton will not escape with the exhausted air.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following descriptions and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of a drier constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a view taken along line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Similar reference characters in the several figures indicate similar elements.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the drier comprises a casing 10. The casing may be formed of sheet metal as is common in the art, with suitable bracing and supports being used. Separator 12 is positioned on top of the drier with a vacuum dropper 14 being intermediate the separator and the drier. The vacuum dropper serves the purpose of dropping the cotton into the drier and preventing the passage of air either into or A second vacuum dropper 16 is positioned adjacent the bottom of the drier and serves as a means for feeding or dropping the cotton to other equipment. Immediately below the inlet opening 18 there is a roller 20. The latter roller is a breaker roller or agitating roller which can be referred to as a picker roller. Roller 20 extends transversely of the drier and comprises a number of spike-like picking elements 22 attached to the drum 24.

A baie 26 is fastened to the side of the casing to one side of roller 20. A second roller 28 is positioned below the baille. A second bafe 30 is positioned on the opposite side of the casing, and a third roller 32 is positioned below baffle 30. Yet a third bathe 34 is positioned adjacent roller 32. Each of the rollers 20, 28 and 32 are constructed in the same manner. The three baffles are also identical in construction.

from each other and extend downwardly and inwardly toward the center of the drier.

The rollers are connected so as to rotate in the man-I ner indicated by the arrows seen in Fig. 1. When so rotating roller 20 throws the cotton onto bafe 26, and roller 28 receives the cotton from baille 26 and throws it onto baflie 30. In turn roller 32 receives the cotton from battle 30 and throws it onto baffle 34. The rodlike elements are close enough to cause most of the cotton to move downwardly by gravity towards the adjacent rollers. The cotton drops ott the lower baille onto the dropper 16.

The picker rollers will open, agitate and tumble the cotton. The cotton will also tumble down the shelf-like supports or baffles.

Hot air inlet 42 is positioned adjacent the lower end of the casing. Hot air outlet 44 is positioned at the upper end of the casing spaced from the inlet opening 18. The hot air is forced through the casing of the drier as the cotton is thrown and gravitates downwardly. The air can pass through the rod-like members 40. By passing a large amount of air through the drier the'drying action is increased. In order to prevent escape of the cotton through the outlet 44, I provide a foraminous .i

should have ameshof about`%" to le". The 'screen will effectively prevent the passage of the cotton outwardly of the moisturelladen air. However, soon the screen will become clogged with cotton unless some provisions are made to keep the screen clean. As illustrated in the drawing, Ilprovi'de, a shaft `The shaft Yhasspaced arms 50 connected at their ends by the wiper base 52. Wiper'fSl isfaihxed to Athe base. AScreen 46 lis made lin the forin o'f "an arc of a circle, and shaft 48 is positioned concentrically with 'the are. As a result, thedshaft can be rotated to cause the wiperto Wipe across the foraminous screen and dislodge the cotton. Thisvprevents clogging ofthescreen. p A

The rollers lopen and ilti'tt the cotton. Further, they throw 'the cotton fromone sideof the casing to the other transversely of thepath of the 'hotir through thec'asing. This insures maXinium.`t'rav"e`l for'thecotton or other materialbeing'opened and dried. The Arollers are spaced fromthegsides of the casing twa'rd whichtheir upper surfaces arefmoving 'andsp'aced 'from the bailles. As a result, -thereis substantially free movement of the cotton through the heated air. v

While I have shown and described a preferredform of m-y invention, it `will be'understo'od that 'variations in details of -form may be 'made without departure from the inventionas deiined in 'the appended claims.

Iclaim: p

1. A tower drier comprising a casing, a separator mounted on said casing, -a cotton inlet opening in said casing, a vacuum dropper mounted below said separator and being operable `to receive cotton from said separator and drop the `cotton into'said casing through said inlet opening, a picker roller mounted in Vsaid casing directly below said dropper to receive cotton therefrom, said picker roller being rotatable to move its upper surface toward one side lof said casing, -a foraminous battle supported adjacent said one side of said casing said baille being positioned entirely yto one side of said roller, said baille projecting inwardly and downwardly in said casing and having an end terminating adjacent the center of said casing, said baille being adapted to support cotton received from said dropper but being pervious to air, a second picker roller positioned adjacent said end of said baille to receive cotton therefrom, said second picker roller being mounted centrally in said casing, said second picker roller being rotatable to move its upper surface toward an opposite side of said casing, a second foraminous baille supported adjacent the side opposite said one side of said casing and projecting inwardly and downwardly in said casing, and having a lower end terminating adjacent the center of said casing', said second baille being substantially entirely to one side of said second picker roller, said second baille being adapted to support cotton but being pervious to air, said second baille being positioned to receive cotton from said second roller a third picker roller positioned adjacent the lower end of said second baille to receivel cotton therefrom, said third picker roller being positioned centrally of said casing, said third picker roller being rotatable to move its upper surface toward an opposite side of said casing, means positioned at the bottom` of said casing operable to drop cotton out of said4 casing, a hot-air inlet in said casing above the last named means and below the bailles, an air outlet above said baille's, a foraminous screen positioned Iacross said air outlet and wiper means for wiping cotton oil said screen, said air outlet being spaced from said cotton inlet opening.

2. A tower drier comprising. a casing, mounted on said casing, a cotton inlet openingin said casing, a vacuum dropper mounted below said separator and operable to receive cotton from said separator and drop the same'into said` easingV through said inlet opening, means mounted in-saidcasing for openingand iluiling cotton received.l from said dropper, a second vacuum dropper mounted at the bottom of said casing and adapted a separator asaoeoe to drop cottonfrom said casing, hot-air inlet means positioned above said second vacuum dropper, air exhaust means comprising an outlet positioned at the upper end of said casing, a foraminous screen positioned in said exhaust means, and means for wiping the face of said screen to remove cotton therefrom, means within said casing for guiding said cotton downwardly through said casing and alternately fromo'rieside of said casing to the other and iluiling said`cotton,"said'ir outlet being spaced from said cotton inlet openingh p Y 3. A towerfdrier comprisi ga'easirig, a vacuum dropper mounted above said casing, a separator mounted above said vacuum dropper, a cotton inlet in said casing below said 'dropper said vacuum dropper being operable to receive cotton from said separator and drop the cotton into said casing through "said inlet, a vpicker roller mounted in said casing directly below said dropper to receive cotton therefrom, said picker roller being rotatable to continuously move its uppermost surface toward one side of said casing, a foraminous baille supported adjacent said one sideof said casingsaid baille being spaced entirely to one side of said roller and projecting inwardly and downwardly in said casing and having a lower end terminating adjacent the center ,of said casing and positioned to receive cotton from said picker roller, said baille being adapted to support cotton received from said picker roller but being pervious to air, a second picker roller positioned adjacent said lower end of said baille and centrally of said casing, said picker roller being positioned `to receive Wcotton gravitate `downwardly from said baille, said second picker roller being rotatable to move its upper surface toward an opposite side of said casing, a second foraminous baille supported adjacent said opposite side of said casingsubstantially entirely to one side of said second roller and projecting inwardly and downwardly in said casing, and having a lower end terminating adjacent the center of said casing said second baffle being positioned to receive cottonfrorn said second picker roller, said second baille being adapted to support cotton but being pervious to air, a third picker roller positioned adjacent the lower end of said second baille to receive cotton therefrom, said third roller being positioned centrally of said casing, said third roller being rotatable to move its upper surface toward said one side of said casing, means positioned at the bottom of said casing operable to remove dried cotton from said casing, a hotair inlet in said casing above the last named means and below said bailles, and an air outlet above said ballles, said air outlet being' 'spaced from Vsaid cotton inlet opening.

4. A tower drier comprising' a casing, a vacuum drop-v per mounted above said casing, a separatorl mounted above said vacuum dropper, a cotton inlet in said casing below said dropper said vacuum dropper being operable to receive' cotton' from saidV separator and drop the cotton into said casing through said inlet, a picker roller positioned below saidr vacuum dropper and mounted in said casing, and extending" laterally across thev casing, said picker .roller being rotatable to strike cotton received from said drpper and open and throw said cotton upwardly in said casinga foraminous baille positioned in said' casing below said picker roller, said baille being positionedv substantially entirely toone side of said roller,

and adapted to receive ycotton opened by said roller and support the same for movement downwardly in said casing, said baille' being slanted inwardly and downwardly in said casing and said cotton being movable downwardly of said baille by gravitational force, means yforming an outlet opening adjacent the lower end of said casing, and means for'removingfthecotton from said casing through said outlet openinggmeansproviding an.' air inlet adjacent'the'bottomfof said casing .forvintroducinghot air into said casingg*ani-airoutletr opening positioned at the top of said casing,- andmeans'for introducing" air under pressure throughv said fair inlet opening for movement through., the cotton in said casing' above said air inlet, through said foraminous baille and through said air outlet to thoroughly dry the cotton, said air outlet being spaced from said cotton inlet opening.

5. A tower drier comprising a casing, a vacuum dropper mounted above said casing, a separator mounted above said vacuum dropper, a cotton inlet in said casing below said dropper said vacuum dropper being operable to receive cotton from said separator and drop the cotton into said casing through said inlet, a picker roller mounted in said casing below said dropper to receive cotton therefrom, said picker roller being rotatable to continuously move its uppermost surface toward one sde of said casing, a foraminous bahle supported adjacent said one side of said casing and projecting inwardly and downwardly in said casing, said baille having a lower end terminating adjacent the center of said casing and being positioned to receive cotton from said picker roller, said baille being adapted to support cotton received from said picker roller, said bathe being positioned substantially to one side of said roller, and direct said cotton downwardly in said casing along the upper surface of said bathe but being pervious to air, a second picker roller positioned adjacent the lower end of said baille and centrally of said casing, the uppermost portion of said second picker roller being above said lower end of said baille and spaced inwardly of said casing with respect to said lower end of said bathe, said second picker roller being in the path of movement of the cotton downwardly over said bathe, said second picker roller being rotatable to move its uppermost surface toward an opposite side of said casing and to throw cotton received from said baille upwardly and toward the side of the casing opposite the said one side of said casing, a second foraminous bathe supported in said casing adjacent said side opposite said one side of said casing, said second baille being substantially to one side of said second roller the second baille projecting downwardly and inwardly in said casing, said second baille having a lower end terminating adjacent the center of said casing and adapted to receive cotton from said second picker roller and direct said cotton downwardly and inwardly of said casing, a third picker roller positioned adjacent the lower end of said second bathe and centrally of said casing, the uppermost portion of the last named roller lying in the path of movement of cotton downwardly over said second baille and being rotatable to move its upper surface toward said one side of said casing and to throw cotton received from said second bathe upwardly and toward said one side of said casing, means positioned at the bottom of said casing operable to remove dried cotton from said casing, a hot air inlet in said casing above the last named means and below said baihes and an air outlet above said bafhes, said air outlet being spaced from said cotton inlet opening.

6. A tower drier comprising a casing, a vacuum dropper mounted above said casing, a separator mounted above said vacuum dropper, a cotton inlet in said casing below said dropper said vacuum dropper being operable to receive cotton from said separator and drop the cotton into said casing through said inlet, a foraminous baille positioned in said casing below said dropper adjacent one side of said casing and adapted to receive cotton from said dropper and support the same for movement downwardly and inwardly in said casing, said baille being slanted inwardly and downwardly in said casing and said cotton being movable downwardly on said bathe by gravi tational force, a picker roller positioned below said vacuum dropper in said casing and extending laterally across said casing, said picker roller being positioned centrally of said casing with said baille being substantially entirely to one side of said roller, said picker roller being positioned adjacent the lower end of said baille with the uppermost portion of said picker roller being above said lower end of said baffle and spaced inwardly of said casing with respect to said lower end of said bathe and being rotatable to move its uppermost surface toward one side or" said casing to throw cotton received from said bathe upwardly and toward the side of said casing opposite said one side of said casing, means forming an outlet opening adjacent the lower end of said casing, and means for removing the cotton from said casing through said outlet opening, means providing an air inlet adjacent the bottom of said casing, for introducing hot air into said casing, an air outlet opening positioned at the top of said casing, and means for introducing air through said air inlet opening for movement through the cotton in said casing through said baille and through said air outlet to thoroughly dry said cotton, said air outlet being spaced from said cotton inlet opening.

7. A tower drier comprising a casing, a vacuum dropper mounted above said casing, a separator mounted above said vacuum dropper, a cotton inlet in said casing below said dropper said vacuum dropper being operable to receive cotton from said separator and drop the cotton into said casing through said inlet, a picker roller positioned below said vacuum dropper and mounted in said casing, and extending laterally across said casing, said picker roller being rotatable to strike cotton received from said dropper and open and throw the cotton upwardly into said casing, said air outlet being spaced from the rst mentioned inlet means forming an outlet opening adjacent the lower end of said casing, and means for removing the cotton from said casing through said outlet opening, means providing an air inlet adjacent the bottom of said casing, for introducing hot air into said casing, an air outlet opening positioned at the top of said casing, and means for introducing air under pressure through said air inlet opening for movement through the cotton in said casing above said air inlet and through said air outlet to thoroughly dry the cotton.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,327,609 Bartholomew Ian. 13, 1920 2,025,701 Mitchell Dec. 24, 1935 2,068,587 Aldrich, Jr. Ian. 19, 1937 2,104,881 McLemore Jan. l1, 1938 2,214,680 Sims Sept. 10, 1940 2,430,686 Roeder Nov. l1, 1947 2,671,248 Wallace Mar. 9, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFCATE OF COlREUFIOb Patent No., 2,820,306 January 2l, 1958 Algernon Lo Smith It is hereby certified that error appears in the -printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, line 30, for "gravitaten read m gravitating u; column 6,` line 32, after "dropper", first occurrence, insert a comma; lines 39 and 40, strike out "said air outlet being spaced from the first mentioned inlet"; line 46, after "casing," insert said air outlet being spaced from the first mentioned inlet y Signed and sealed this 9th day of September l958 SEAL) Attest:

KARL I-L, MINE ROBERT C. WATSON lttesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

